Sara Grinzato

“The purest and most thoughtful minds are those which love color the most” (John Ruskin, The Stones of Venice)

Visitors’ eyes are attracted by the unique beauty of Venice, and they do not listen to their mind. Their eye flutter on a millennial Byzantine arch, on a column in red porphyry, on the sinuous shape of a gondola.

The task of a good guide is to educate the visitors’ mind and let their eyes lay on the most significant details. Their mind then will find out that every stone has a story, every colour its meaning.

My background

I graduated in Art History and Conservation of Cultural Heritage at the Ca‘ Foscari University of Venice, and I specialized in XVIII-Century painting at the University of Padua. I studied abroad, too, in Madrid, London and Berlin.

I learnt the techniques of conservation and restoration of polychromed wood artefacts and canvases, at the Veneto Institute for Cultural Heritage, Venice. I therefore also operate as restorer of ancient paintings and wood sculptures.

I love the history and culture of my native land and being a professional guide enables me to talk every day about the beauty of my city.

My passions are the eighteenth century art and the Venetian villas in the mainland.

I work with pleasure with families and with children.

My advice

By choosing a visual art expert for your tours, you will have the opportunity to discover a different city. Abandon the clichés and the usual itineraries, and get ready to experience a city rich in history and art. A few examples?

One of the places I prefer in Venice is La Madonna dell’Orto, which houses two huge canvases by Tintoretto depicting the Last Judgment and the fusion of the golden calf by the Jews. They are among the larger paintings that can be found in Venice, and represent an exciting experience. In a tour with me, you will discover how Tintoretto worked! The occasion will be perfect also to visit the painter’s house, next by the same church, now home to some talented local artists who will be happy to show you their creations.

Why, on the other hand, do I love the XVIII-Century Venetian art? The XVIII Century was characterized by extensive political and economic crisis for the Serenissima, which had lost any international influence and control over the Mediterranean markets. The art and craft of this period, however, proved to be very prosperous, so much so that lots of Venetian artists were called to work in other European countries. Think about Tiepolo, a star among the XVIII-Century international artists, who was object of a harsh competition between the local Venetian nobles and the kings and bishops of every city in Europe. If you want to get a taste of his art, take a tour with me in the Church of the Jesuats, or in the lovely church of Santa Maria della Fava. Try to figure out how Tiepolo taught his son Domenico to mix the colours, how he drew sketches for his masterpieces on paper sheets, and how a white ceiling arose to life with a few quick brushstrokes of his.

You will experience a Venice made up of elegant nobles, skilled craftsmen, powerful convents and churches, animated ceilings, skillfully carved and gilded frames, and artists that make us wonder, still today, at a century long distance.